May Update, 2012
Dear Friends,
After the storm, we return to silence. The inauguration on May 5th of the new Zendo and Hatto, together with the eye-opening ceremony for the new Manjusri statue, amounted to a festive and colourful celebration for the whole sangha. Now we are heading into a three-month Ango training period, which starts with a weekend sesshin on May 25th-27th. The blessings of the Chinese, Japanese and other guests from all quarters of the world are still lingering and will surely energise our practice. But, in the end, individual transformation is up to each one of us. So here we go!
At the start of the weekend sesshin we begin with an Ango entering ceremony for head monk Robert Doin van de Roer and all other participants. It will be quite an experience to do this in the new Zendo under the supervision of Manjusri, who is sitting on a fierce-looking lion that won’t allow any nonsense. The ceremony indicates not only the start of Ango but also the beginning of a new phase in the development of Zen River. A number of members have signed up for the whole three months which will definitely help to deepen our commitment to thoroughgoing training.
The Zen River website features a slideshow of the May 5th celebrations. And the Spring Newsletter, which will come out next week, contains lots of pictures to commemorate the event. Time flies, though, and even such a milestone will soon become a memory. But the presence of two abbots of historic temples in China standing on our back lawn in their bright red robes, invoking all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, will have a lasting effect. All thanks to the indefatigable Hojo-san who masterminded their coming over to Uithuizen.
On May 28th, Hojo-san himself will be the focus of a festive lunch in Tokyo to celebrate his receiving the rank of Daikyoshi. This is a very high position within the Soto School that only a small number of priests hold. Ingrid Shugetsu Appels and Jorge Ryushin López Dóriga will be there to represent Zen River, together with our dear friend Koichi Isoda-san. The latter has been a tremendous support for many years now. And when he arrived this time for the May 5th celebrations he brought with him a beautiful Kyokuroku, a ceremonial chair that fits perfectly in the new Hatto.
In the meantime, Tenkei Roshi has been invited to attend an international Buddhist conference in Bangkok, Thailand, May 31th-June 2nd, all costs covered (!) He will be accompanied by Jorge Ryushin López Dóriga, who now lives in Bangkok, who will also participate. We’re very curious to hear the stories! On June 7th, this will certainly feature during an evening teisho at Kanzeon Zen Centrum in Den Haag.
April Update, 2012
Dear Friends,
The training format of the traditional three-month Ango has a long history. It started at the time of the Buddha, when he and his disciples would gather together during the rainy season. In today’s Japan all monks have to participate in a number of Angos in order to receive their licenses as bona fide priests. Zen River’s year-round program includes two Angos, one in summer and one in winter. Everybody is welcome to participate for any length of time, but it is particularly powerful for those who are able to attend the whole three-month period. At the end there is always a Hossenshiki (dharma-combat ceremony) for the head monk, and since 2010 these ceremonies have been certified officially by the Soto School.
This year’s Summer Ango runs from May 25 to August 25 and will be more structured than before. The design and lay-out of the new Zendo and the renovated Hatto will allow us to follow the original format of practice more closely. This means, for example, that the regular daily schedule will not only include more zazen and study periods but also more training in ritual. Robert Doin van de Roer will be the Shuso (head monk), and we are very happy to welcome Rev. Shohaku Okumura, the well-known dharma teacher and translator of Dogen Zenji’s works, as the Jokeshi (official witness) of the Hossenshiki.
But first there will be the Sakura Jukai sesshin at the end of this month. It promises to be an inspiring event as seven (!) Zen River members are preparing to receive the precepts from Tenkei Roshi. This will happen at 7.30 pm on Tuesday, May 1. Sesshin will officially end on the morning of Wednesday May 2, around coffee time. From then on all of our energy will be directed towards the big event on May 5.
On May 5 at 11.30 am, the new Zendo will be inaugurated by Rev. Master Cheng Xin and Rev. Master Ke Xiang, both from China and, respectively, the abbots of Tiantong Temple and Qita Temple in Ningbo. They will also conduct the Eye-opening ceremony for the new Manjushri statue, generously donated by Rev. Junyu Kuroda (Hojo-san). The latter will – as master of ceremonies – officiate a service in the Hatto to consecrate the new altar for the Buddha statue he donated more than ten years ago. It feels like the end of an era and the beginning of a new one – so there is plenty of reason to celebrate! Special guests from abroad will include Rev. Hu Jianming, Rev. Yodo Yamamoto, Rev. Sokan Jiso Forzani, Rev. Eiju Matsuda, Rev. Koichi Isoda and his daughter Yuriko, Genno Roshi, and Senseis Michel Dubois and Dave Scott. Jiun Hogen Roshi from The Noorderpoort will also be present.
Just the other day, a large box arrived from China containing a calligraphy on a black and gold wooden board – a precious gift from Rev. Master Cheng Xin of Tiantong Temple. The calligraphy says Sen Butsu Jo (Place where Budhas are Chosen) and will be hung above the door to the Zendo, as is traditional in Chinese monasteries. It beautifully symbolizes a direct connection with our Dharma ancestors because Dogen Zenji received transmission from Tendo Nyojo at Tiantong Temple.
March Reminder 2012
Dear Friends,
Spring is in the air and it lifts the spirits. Time to celebrate Buddha's birthday! We'll do that during the weekend sesshin of March 30/31. During the morning service on Sunday, March 31 all participants will be able to bathe the baby Buddha in the traditional fashion. In Japan the official date for Buddha's birthday is April 8 (or even May 8), so we are a little early this year – as if we can't wait to be born! But considering our annual program, the coming weekend sesshin seemed to be the best option for this ceremony. If you would like to join and haven't registered yet, please contact the office soon.
The weekend before this sesshin, Tenkei Roshi and Tammy will go to Madrid for the usual spring program. This includes a public talk at the Centro Cultural Buenavista, a guided meditation at the Centro Shen in El Escorial, and an all-day Zazenkai at our customary venue, the social centre in Calle Julio Palacios in the north of Madrid. The Spanish department of our sangha is very active, and the visit to Madrid is always an inspiring event. The theme this year will be La Vida del Bodhisattva (The Life of the Bodhisattva) and Roshi will use Dogen Zenji's Bodhisattva Shishobo as source material.
Looking a little further ahead, the Sakura Spring Jukai sesshin will be held April 28 - May 2. Six Zen River members will receive Jukai on the evening of Tuesday, May 1, around 8pm. This sesshin was shortened a bit in order to get things ready for the inauguration of the new Zendo by our Chinese and Japanese guests on May 5th. More information about this event will follow soon.
Calendar
| March 25 | Zazenkai Madrid |
| March 30 - April 1 | Buddhas Birthday Sesshin |
| April 28 - May 2 (4-day sesshin) |
Sakura Jukai Sesshin |
| May 5 | Inauguration Zendo |
| May 25 - August 25 | Summer Ango |
| May 25 - 27 | Weekend sesshin |
| June 7 | Den Haag |
| June 9 | Intro Zazenkai |
February Update 2012
Dear Friends,
Winter is beautiful now in the north of Groningen. The snow covers the endless fields with a blanket of silence. It is as if the Zendo literally extends in all directions. In contrast, there is lots of drilling and hammering inside the main building, with many hands working hard to remodel the Hondo. Although the whole project may not be completely finished by February 25, we are nonetheless aiming to use the new Hondo for the upcoming Hossenshiki. We are excited about this prospect and curious to see how the new layout accommodates the flow of the ceremony. With direct access from the entrance hallway, the altar in the new center-window extension and tatami mats on the floor, the Hondo will be both more intimate and more spacious, while the staircase hallway can serve more easily to offer additional space. Most importantly, with the new Zendo dedicated solely to zazen, the new Hondo will provide fresh perspectives for our practice of ritual.
The Ango-ending sesshin starts on Saturday, February 18 at 1.00 pm and concludes with the Hossenshiki ceremony on Saturday, February 25 at 11.00 am. Even if you can’t make it to sesshin, you are very welcome to attend the ceremony. Hossenshiki is always a colorful event and a festive lunch is served afterwards. Simon Senko de Boer has been Shuso (head monk) for this Winter Ango, so during the ceremony he will deliver the dharma talk and engage with everyone in dharma combat. All participants are encouraged to ask a pithy question to test the Shuso’s understanding of the dharma (as well as their own). Procedures will be explained beforehand.
We are happy to welcome as Jokeshi (special witness from the Soto School), Rev. Taitoku Hosokawa, abbot of Kojoji in Tokyo, Japan. His role is to certify the ceremony so that it can be officially registered with Soto Headquarters. Rev. Hosokawa will be accompanied by his wife and by Rev. Shoki Kamada from the European Soto office in Paris. For all of them, this will be their first visit to Zen River. Another special guest is Kando Green Sensei, dharma successor of Musai Walter Roshi and teacher at the Walking Mountain Zendo in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Kando Sensei will participate in the whole sesshin.
The fundraiser for the new Hondo continues. All donations, great and small, are very much appreciated.
Calendar
| Spring 2012 | |
| February 18 - 25 | Winter Closing Sesshin |
| March 10 | Zazenkai Düsseldorf |
| March 25 | Zazenkai Madrid |
| March 30 - April 1 | Buddhas Birthday Sesshin |
| April 28 - May 2 (4-day sesshin) |
Sakura Jukai Sesshin |
| May 25 - August 25 | Summer Ango |
| May 25 - 27 | Weekend sesshin |
| June 7 | Den Haag |
| June 9 | Intro Zazenkai |
January Update 2012
Dear Friends,
2012 kicks off with a real breakthrough - literally! This week, contractor Klaas de Boer and his crew will start remodelling the old Zendo to turn it into the new Hondo by opening the room up on two sides. The window wall will get an extension into the garden to accommodate the altar, and the opposite wall will be cut open to give direct access from the hallway. The change will allow a very different orientation and, after entering the front door, one will immediately face the Buddha. In fact, this design follows more accurately the traditional layout of Japanese Zen temples and has the advantage that the Hondo will be able to accommodate more participants.
Once the renovation has started, things will move fast and the "rough" work should be completed in just a few weeks. Of course, as with the new Zendo, finishing the interior will take much longer. Constructing a proper altar, installing tatami mats and suitable lighting, and adapting the hallway for its new use are all big jobs. But Peter Gakudo den Hollander can't wait to get started, particularly now that building expert Pascal Tetsuko van der Knokke has promised to come over from Spain to help out. The November Fundraiser for the new Hondo has been very successful so far with €8,000 raised - a great contribution towards the estimated total expense of €17,000. Many thanks to everybody. All donations, great and small, are very much appreciated.
Although the new Hondo may not be completely finished by the end of February, we hope to be able to use it for the Shuso Hossenshiki for Simon Senko de Boer. It will be a nice surprise for the Jokeshi, the official witness from the Soto School, who will come over from Japan to attend and certify the ceremony. Also, we are very happy that our dear friends Kando Green Sensei and Gerhard Ryuko Nicklas will be present too and will participate fully in the Ango Closing sesshin. Kando Sensei is a recent dharma successor of Musai Walters Roshi and teacher at the Walking Mountain Zendo in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gerhard is really part of our family because he lived and trained at Zen River in the early days, together with Liz Seiki Fox who was Zen River's first Shuso. They now have their home in Taos, New Mexico and study primarily with Musai Roshi. Gerhard is an excellent carpenter and, among other things, made the beautiful tables we always used for oryoki in the old Zendo. These tables will now get a new function in the Hondo and in the Kodo (lecture hall), upstairs in the new wing. To remind you again, the Hossenshiki ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 25 at 11am and, of course, everybody is very welcome to join.
January 28/29 there will be a weekend sesshin, and if you would like to participate and have not yet signed up, please contact the office ASAP. This sesshin has been added to our annual programme now that the Ameland retreats have come to an end. On February 4, there will be an all-day Intro Zazenkai - ideal for beginners and those who want to hear Tenkei Roshi's latest update on Zen meditation. And on Sunday January 22 at 4pm, two of our long-time members - Erik de Vries and Herman Postma - will receive Jukai
Myoho Sensei's birthday party was a very festive occasion and the bicycle she received as a sangha gift is a great success - she's out riding it pretty much every day to stay fit. Many thanks!